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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pop · race · staff · press · ruler · row · bowl · deal

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. deal — to handle
  3. staff — a stick
  4. row — to paddle
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. press — to push
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. row — a line
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. race — the arms race
  12. pop — soda
  13. press — newspapers
  14. race — a contest
  15. staff — employees
  16. race — humankind
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. pop — to visit
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. press — a publisher
  22. pop — music
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. ruler — a monarch

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com